He tapped the option.
[SSAGE REQUEST SENT]
The interface confird the action, then closed.
King lowered his hand, exhaling slowly.
Now all he could do was wait.
_____________________________________
The notification arrived faster than King expected.
[DING]
[SSAGE REQUEST ACCEPTED]
The private ssage window blossod across his field of vision, all sharp lines and empty white space. Then, a single notification pulsed into existence.
[Pantheon]: Hello King
King stared at the greeting, the cursor blinking like a taunt. He wasn’t here for pleasantries. And as was his nature, he went straight to the point.
[King]: You said you had a proposal for ?
[Pantheon]: Yes, I do.
[King]: Let’s hear it.
[Pantheon]: But first, I have to ask..
King paused, raising an eyebrow. Beneath Pantheon’s na, the typing indicator still blinked. He waited patiently.
[Pantheon]: You do know about the Alignnt Selection that cos imdiately after the First Woe, right?
[Pantheon]: I assu, as Rank 1, you’re no amateur.
King’s fingers hovered over the keyboard.
Alignnt Selection.
Of course he knew.
It was one of the most crucial chanics in the ga. A choice forced on players during their most vulnerable mont, right after they’d barely survived the First Woe. Exhausted, possibly injured and emotionally drained.
The ga didn’t give you ti to recover. It threw the decision at you while your logic was at its lowest and your survival instincts were screaming.
They were about ten alignnts in total, and each one locked you into specific quest chains, faction relationships, NPC relationships and PvP dynamics. And once chosen, it couldn’t be changed.
King had tested all alignnts during different playthroughs.
None of them were perfect.
[King]: Why’s that important?
[Pantheon]: Well, you’re not surprised, aning you do know...
The typing indicator appeared again.
[Pantheon]: My proposal cos in regards to it. And the Second Woe, which, if it follows the ga, will also be in line with the Alignnts.
King leaned back slightly, his eyes sharpening.
Pantheon was already thinking ahead, way ahead.
While most of the players were still scrambling to survive the next nine days. Panicking over the First Woe, clutching their resources and forming fragile, panicked alliances that the alignnts could utterly shatter if they were ignorant.
Pantheon wasn’t focused on the First Woe at all.
He was already planning for the Second. And King in his experience figured what he was driving at.
[King]: Let guess...
[King]: You want to avoid a direct confrontation?
[Pantheon]: Bingo
King exhaled slowly.
This guy was sharp.
The fact that Pantheon sat at Rank 2 in the Power Rankings but didn’t exist in the Popular Rankings wasn’t by accident. He was playing carefully. Deliberately staying out of the spotlight while consolidating his strength.
And now he was reaching out to the only person above him.
Not to challenge.
But to negotiate.
King’s mind raced through the implications.
If the ga followed its original structure, the Second Woe would be the Pruning Gas. A massive PvP event where players were sorted by alignnt and forced to compete in restricted zones.
The Alignnts ford a complex web of players you could face, avoid, and hunt.
It was chaotic, Brutal, and if you were faced against soone in your own power bracket, the fight could go either way.
Pantheon had clearly done the math.
If he and King ended up on opposing alignnts, they’d be forced into direct combat eventually. And neither of them could afford that risk.
A slight smile tugged at the corner of King’s mouth.
He was Impressed.
He started typing.
[King]: So, what do you propose?
[Pantheon]: Well, if our reality follows the ga to the letter, which it has so far. I’m guessing the Second Woe will be the Pruning Gas. And the best way to avoid direct confrontation is if we have the sa alignnt.
[Pantheon]: I don’t know where you stand, but my proposal is the Null Alignnt. With that, we can shape our own path and avoid any chances of combat.
King stared at the ssage.
Null Alignnt.
He’d run that route before. Multiple tis, actually.
It was the wildcard option. No inherent favors, faction support, or predetermined quest chains.
You were basically, on your own.
Which ant you could ally with anyone or backstab anyone without major consequence, it also ant anyone could make you an enemy.
It was the alignnt for lone wolves and opportunists.
And in King’s case, it made sense.
He’d already acted with an Arcbearer. Secured Barlan’s dallion. And gained the favor of the Almighty.
Two forces that didn’t always see eye to eye.
Choosing one or the other this early would lock him into political gas he didn’t have ti for. But the NULL Alignnt kept his options open.
And if Pantheon was telling the truth, it also kept them out of each other’s way.
That was the problem, though.
If Pantheon was telling the truth.
[King]: How do I know this isn’t a trap?
[Pantheon]: Well, if it is, I see no way it benefits . I just prefer survival and maturation over needless risks. Right now I don’t know your strengths, and with you above I’d like to make sure we don’t have to battle each other.
King read the ssage twice.
Logically, it was sound.
Pantheon had nothing to gain from lying. If King chose a different alignnt, they’d end up fighting eventually. And with their power scores so close, there was no guarantee who’d win.
Neither of them wanted that.
Still, sothing nagged at him.
[King]: Before I give my yes or no, I have one question.
[Pantheon]: I’m all ears.
[King]: When you sent a text offering a proposal on the World Chat, Cain replied with "LOL." What was that about?
There was a pause. Longer than the previous ones.
[Pantheon]: You noticed. Impressive.
[Pantheon]: Let’s just say I had the sa proposal for him, and he wasn’t interested.
King’s face relaxed with a sarcastic smile.
Of course, Pantheon had approached that rascal.
Cain had always operated alone. The guy was Rank 3 in the Power Rankings and before the ga had overlayed reality, Cain had a reputation for solo clearing content no one else could touch. He didn’t do teams. Didn’t do alliances.
And if he ever did take a partner, it would only be a matter of ti before he betrayed them.
That was just who Cain was.
But the fact that Pantheon had approached him ant he’d been making rounds. Testing the waters. Reaching out to the top players one by one.
King didn’t know how many had said yes.
And that was the problem.
Pantheon couldn’t be trusted.
Still, his proposal was logical, for the now.
King typed slowly.
[King]: Fine. I accept.
[Pantheon]: Very well then. Thank you.
King stared at the last ssage.
Thank you.
It felt oddly formal. Almost polite.
He closed the chat without giving a reply.
The interface disappeared, leaving him alone in the dining room.
King sat there for a mont, crossing his arms and staring at nothing in particular.
The First Woe was close, and after that, the Alignnt Selection would trigger.
And if everything followed the ga’s script, there was a short window, then the Second Woe would follow.
Pantheon had planned ahead.
King would do the sa.
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